Locked.

ستة

•

He must've known my parents were tripping from the way he ended his letter. Never before had he referred to himself as a thug even though many labeled him as such. I tucked the slip of paper away in my purse then continued packing.

Ms. Janice stood on her porch watching everything as usual so I asked her to look after my place while I wasn't there "sure thing, baby."

"Thanks."

"You be safe now." She said.

"I will."

Safe—that word was now foreign to me. Dating someone that reps the blue there was no such thing as safe. You had to be on high alert at all times. I leaned into the seat with my dark shades on as my dad drove. Boxes filled up the back seats. And music played low on the car radio.

My room at my parents' house was exactly how I left it—B2K posters and everything.

Evan, my little brother, popped his head into the door "oh! You back for good this time, huh?"

I shrugged because honestly, I didn't know how to answer that. All I knew was it wasn't a good look being my age with a kid and still living in my parents' home.

"Uncle Evan, look at me!" Kaley went running through the hallways with a pink sheet wrapped around her like a cape. "I'm supergirl pick me up so I can fly."

"What's the magic word."

"Please!!!"

She giggled when he held her up and I sat on my bed listening to her soft voice interacting with Evan.

I got a pen out and started writing Javonte back—we had many memories in this bedroom.

Once I was finished, I fed Kaley then bathed her and finally put her to sleep. My mom walked in from work as I was cleaning the mess I had made inside of the kitchen. "Where's your brother I don't see his car in the driveway?"

"He went hanging with some of his school friends."

"That boy can never just sit and relax at home without moving about." She said, "what about Kal where is she?"

"Sleeping... I put her down for a nap about a minute ago." I smiled, "she was asking questions about you."

"Yeah." she nodded "she's just as grown as she wants to be." My parents have been married for 20 years with 3 children. I was the oldest then Evelyn and finally Evan.

I knew that it would take a while to get used to the new routine here. Styling my daughter's hair each morning as she recited the alphabet or numbers while getting ready for school. Then making breakfast after she washed up then took her out to the school bus before getting clean for work.

"Good morning, Eva." Sanjay grinned from behind the room divider.

"It's Evangeline." I corrected and wasn't trying to be mean, but I also wasn't aiming to be friendly either.

"Are you going out for lunch?"

"No, I brought food along."

Bagel and cream cheese was my choice of lunch.

My appetite had always been small because if I overeat I'd get sick. I was a petite girl that didn't require that much.

We returned to the office, and I started filing papers.

After work was done I headed over to Kaley's school. Finding her sitting alone on the playground in the sandbox. I switched over placing my slim fingers underneath her chin so that she looked my way.

"I don't wanna come here anymore." She whined. "Can I go to work with you?"

"Why baby what's wrong?"

"They said I didn't have a daddy when Mrs. Carmichael told us to draw our family..." She revealed.

"Who said that?" I questioned.

"The kids in class." She wiped her eyes, "I said I had one, and Andy Jefferson told me no—"

"Listen to me you do have a daddy and he loves you so very much." I replied as she pulled her drawing from out the sandbox "don't let anybody tell you differently, okay, Pooh?"

She nodded before standing.

I unraveled the balled up paper when we got back to my car. Tears filled my eyes when I saw the little stick figures that she created of me, her, and our cats without her father anywhere in the drawing.

•

•

A/N: Please go check out my other stories Soul Ties and Love Jones if you get a chance. Anyway, 4 chapters of this story have been updated so please support by voting, commenting, and adding this story to your library/reading lists.